Jury duty awaits me … at least I hope it does.

But I’m not holding my breath.

I got a summons the other day from Randall County District Clerk Jo Carter’s office. I’ve been assigned a juror number and a panel number. I’m going to call the clerk’s office this afternoon, after 5, to see if I need to report Tuesday to the County Justice Center in Canyon. They might cancel the whole thing, which has happened the past few times I’ve been summoned for jury duty.

Unlike many of us, I actually want to serve on a jury. District and county clerks all across Texas lament the no-show rate of those called for jury duty. Their gripe is an understandable one, given that they are charged with summoning citizens to perform this important rite of citizenship. But some of us don’t take it seriously enough.

I’m not placing myself on some pedestal here. It’s just that I’ve always wanted to serve on a trial jury just because the process always has fascinated me. Do the jurors argue among themselves? How do they reach a unanimous verdict? What kind of arm-twisting goes on?

However, I’ve found that my occupation often precludes such an event from occurring. I guess journalists are considered “too knowledgeable” about certain cases to qualify them for a spot on an actual civil or criminal trial jury.

Well, I’ll hope for the best when the time comes later today. And in my case, the “best” means realistically that I’ll report for duty — even if it means I’ll likely get disqualified.